Toby stared up at the the wreckage of the old truck from his back. He pulled out a circuit board, looked it over, then threw it to the side.
"Stupid 'new' models...never any thought for longevity..."

He sighed, then saw it, a power cell. But it was in a gap far too small for him to reach in by hand. He frowned, then smiled. He pulled himself out from under the truck, and, checking his distance and the surrounding areas, he pulled the chain blade from his belt, and grabbed the throttle lever on it. He heard it start instantly and rev sharply, and he stabbed it in to the hood. With a loud crash and the sound of scraping and grinding metal, he pulled it towards himself,carving a huge rift in the engine block as the diamond-tipped teeth ripped the thin metal and plastic body like a piece of old paper that they still found around. He pried it open with very little force, turning his chain blade off, and reached in, retrieving the unharmed power cell. And, a rare find as well, a small spark plug. Must have been one of the last gas-electric hybrids around before the wars and Virus. he also took the time to grab any whole parts that still were intact after his..surgery.

Toby pocketed the parts, and looked out over the old parking structure. A recent collapse had re shifted all the rubble, and allowed HIM access to the untouched vehicles. But it was also prime pickings for others. He pulled out his lever action rifle and wandered away from he remains of the structure. This may still be Thanatos Territory, but the border. He somehow doubted others would let the potential for new salvage to go unnoticed, much less respect 'borders' for them. He stared off into the distance, seeing the damaged, but still magnificent Rotunda of the Capitol Building. He smiled at it, and wandered back towards home, after making sure a round was waiting in the barrel of the Rifle as he walked.

"C'mon, Allen. Wake up. We're almost there." The larger figure nudged the smaller one in the dark of near-morning, the deep voice of the first slightly echoing off of the many surfaces in the small cave they'd found. "Uhn...five more minutes, Erik..." The older sighed and shook his head. "No, we need to go now. The slavers'll be out soon, and we need to get a head start if we're going to be in the city before noon. You know how hot it gets..." The smaller boy was instantly up at the mention of heat. Both of the two brother's HATED heat with an, ironically, burning passion. Allen stood, stretched his tired limbs, and reached for his backpack. Erik did the same. There was no light in the cave, but it was small, and they remembered where they'd put their stuff. Hefting each one on, both of the brothers shifted to make the bags more comfortable, and finally headed out, slowly, into the wastes.

It promised to be a cloudless day, Erik could feel it. There was no moisture in the air, and no wind. No moisture and no wind meant no clouds. Damnit... It was always cooler when it was cloudy, and sometimes, if you were extremely lucky, it would drop a few raindrops. Actually rain was nearly non-existent. Erik had never seen it. He'd never seen any water bigger than a small well, come to think of it. He'd heard of oceans but...well, he'd also heard of the mutated sharks that patrol the sandy things called "beaches". So, trotting on for hours on end, the two brothers made their way to what promised to be an adventure: the Old City. He'd once heard it called...what was it again? Damnit, he couldn't remember the name. He knew it'd had a "D" and a "C". That was an awfully strange name for a city. Maybe it meant something? "Damned City." Yeah, Erik liked that name. Smiling to himself, Erik looked out to the horizon, and the promising spot on it's edge.



"Erik...it's hot..." IThe older brother sighed. "I know...I know..." The two walked for five more minutes on the never-ending road before another sound came from the tired boy. "Erik...when are we gonna get there?" Another sigh. "I don't know, Allen. You can see the buildings from here, but I can't see a way off this road..." Erik stopped and bent over, stretching his back. Bending back up, he put a hand over his eyes and looked. He could, indeed, see the buildings. Even some faint outlines of people. But they were really far off. Where did this damn bridge end?

The 7th Bell chapel was a living and breathing testament to how far humanity has fallen. It's once lustrous and sublime beauty has been corroded and corrupted to the core. The once symbol of unity and peace had been transformed into a symbol of the desperation of the human race. And the person who witnessed that corrosion slowly eat the chapel away was none other than Anel.

Anel gave an exasperated sigh as he washed away the vandals on the altar written by the wily denizens of the chapel. He had tried so much to preserve the sanctity of the place (being a very devoted Christian) but his efforts almost always ends up as nothing more than wasted words. The true purpose of the chapel had been lost a long time ago with no apparent sign of coming back.

A couple of the gang members staying on the church were having a fight near the candle stands, profanities and curses flying from both sides in earnest. Over at the confession booth, Anel could hear several grunts and moans. The once sacred place to ask for forgiveness, was now being used for one night stands and such. Over at the choir balcony several mangy and dirty children slept, replacing the singers. The tabernacle had long been ransacked as it was missing from it's frame behind the altar. The images of Christ and the Virgin Mary had several limbs missing, many of which were being toyed by the hyperactive children which stayed on the chapel. The makers of the chapel would've never thought of such atrocities being done in this place.

After Anel had finished cleaning the altar, he went towards the door behind it. A basement has been created on the church to serve as the armory for The Disciples. The basement's walls were lined with guns of old and new as well as several protective armors. Anel picked up one of the cleaning cloths which laid on a table and started cleaning a Colt 45. He removed the ammo clip first, then the stock before wiping off the dust which had seeped through the crevasses.

The Citadel, Holy City of the Brotherhood of Steel, Elder Chambers

*Paladin Teletha Firaxis stood before the Elders of the Brotherhood as they discussed her latest field report.*

"Honourable Sister, this council has analyzed your findings and has come to a conclusion. While your dealings with the Wasteland Gangs have provided essential intelligence to the Brotherhood and you have acquired several pieces of valuable technology, we cannot allow your request for aid to the Gangs you have allied yourself with, you of all people should be well aware of the Church's feelings towards sharing technology. Also, we will not provide you with a ground team to explore the Library of Congress. You are dismissed."

*The Elders all stood and left the council chambers at once, leaving Teletha standing in the partial darkness. She drew the hood of her robes over her head and returned to her quarters. Once there, she disrobed and bathed, before changing into her Power Armour Neural Interface Suit, and heading to the Armoury. She called over a young Squire to assist her in putting on her R-51b Powered Infantry Armour. Teletha stood and thought about the words of the Council as the Squire fastened plates and secured cables. She was interrupted in her thoughts when the young girl handed her helmet up to her.*

"Thank you Kathrine. May Steel be with you."

"And also with you, Sister Paladin."

*Teletha gathered her weapons, clipping grenades to her right leg rack, her pistol to her left, and her Laser Rifle to her back; with that, she strode out of the Armoury, down the airlock hallway, and into the bright morning sun of the Capitol Wasteland. She would be heading to the territory of the Thanatos Instinct Gang, due west from the Citadel...*

The door creaked as Ulric pushed it inward, revealing the tarnished 7th Bell Chapel, the "House of God", a God that Ulric had long lost faith in. If you asked him, he would tell you bluntly, and without hesitating that there was no God; and even if there was, he had long abandoned them, he had long left the people the bible pledged he loved. He didn't care, so why should anyone else? If you want to ask him about a God, about a savior, it would be the 'Key', the one thing that could save them, the one thing could end the torment that world had undergone. That was God, your savior.

Unlatching the wolverine-like gauntlet from his right hand, Ulric ruffled his hair and tossed the rustic metallic contraption onto the floor before removing the other one and doing the same; it grew rather annoying to have them at times, especially if you go to scratch yourself; couldn't tell you how many times Ulric had done that, how many self afflicted scars he had.

Groaning as he took one look around, he snorted and sat down for a moment on one of the wooden benches, smiling with relief because the wood hadn't given in - a few times he had sat down and well... let's just say the wood wasn't as sturdy as it once was.

Closing his eyes, scratching his ears, the constant racket and curses caused him to twitch and soon say some of his own. "Shut the fuck up you two, or I'm going to come over there, and shoot both of you in the fucking head. Goddamn, can't I ever get any peace?" Ulric roared, shaking his head to the side in a disapproving manner.

"It isn't good to use God's name in vain ya know..." A child muttered, finding her way in front of Ulric, yawning wearily while rubbing her eyes.

Chuckling, wrinkling his nose, Ulric bent down and lifted the child up onto his lap, smirking. "There is no God. Do you think if there was a God, we'd be in this predicament? Have you been outside lately child?" Ulric replied, bringing his fingers through her hair to undo the knots, and the small case of bed head. "He'll come, you'll see..." The child said softly, laying her head back on Ulric's chest and closing her eyes, suppressing a yawn.

"The day I find the 'Key' and bring peace this measly planet, then, maybe, I'll believe in your God. Let's just hope I do that before I get a one way ticket straight to hell, although I don't see things getting much worse, or hotter at that." Playing with his collar, Ulric stood up, lifting the girl from his grasps and laying her on the bench, patting her head. "Sleep well my child, and be wise to forget your God. You will find no salvation from him." Ulric whispered, walking up towards the alter.

More groans came from the confession booths, which caused Urlic to immediately growl and reach down to his shins, for his gun. "This ain't a God damn whorehouse, I have a wife, but even in my right mind, there are children here, damn!" Ulric snarled, firing a few rounds into the top part of the booth, trying to scare whomever lurked inside - hopefully he didn't hit them, but even if he did, they probably deserved it.

Things always got out of hand at the church, especially when he wasn't around. This was an armory, not a... well, does he really have to repeat himself... ? You get the picture.

"Wouldn't want someone knocked up, besides, why let more children be born into this hell?" Ulric said aloud, hoping for them to find truth in his words. He loved his wife, there was no doubt about it; he'd love to start a family with her too, but in the worlds current state, there wasn't a way in hell he would subjugate his own kin to this cruel, unpredictable society - a society he would soon bring to justice.

Holstering his gun, and licking the corner of his mouth, Ulric walked down the flight of stairs leading to the basement, specifically looking for Anel. "There you are boy. Why is it that when I'm not around, people think they can do whatever the hell they want?" Ulric scowled, walking towards Anel and beginning to toy with a few of the guns that lined themselves against the wall.

"I... I tried to scold them Ulric but..." said Anel lowly as he polished a revolver in his right hand.

If one was to look closely, they would see that the young boy's body was tattered with bruises. He had tried so hard to promote at least a shred of decency to the denizens of 7th Bell but all that he got in return was kicks and slaps. He never gave up in doing it though, or at least until his legs could still support his body.

"I'm sorry Ulric. I'll try harder next time." said Anel as he placed the revolver back into it's receptacle.

Anel went to the next thing to clean, a full body armor. Despite the sheer weight of the protective suit, Anel carried it to the table and got to cleaning it. A rosary dropped on the floor from his pocket as he did.

"I've taken up the latest inventory of our arnaments. The report's right there by the ammunition..." gestured Anel to the clipboard on top of a box of 9mm bullets. "We're running short of slugs. Our shotgun users will most likely get two reloads at most." told Anel.

As he polished the armor he slowly realized that the rosary he was wearing was gone. He abandoned polishing the armor and frantically searched for it. He let out a sigh of relief when he spotted the trinket on the floor near Ulric. He promptly picked it up and wore it, tucking it inside his shirt. It was a gift from Tim and one of the things he held dear.

Toby wandered the large expanse of former suburb and city in what had once been, according to Road signs, Arlington. A deer ran past out of his view and in almost an instant he pointed the lever action rifle, tracking it's progress, but it was out of sight before he could get his shot off. He sighed. That would have been good food. though he still had a ways to go back to headquarters. Maybe it was just as well.

Toby rested his rifle over his shoulder again and kept walking around the area. Their territory was spotted with suburban wreckage and very little urban sprawl outside of Arlington. The area always made him nervous, though, with the building skeletons and the cars left to die int he street. He checked the area, and levered a round into the chamber, catching the unspent bullet that popped out from the barrel, reloading it into the hatch from the side. He needed to bring back up on the next scrounge run. It was not fun walking back alone.

Somewhere in no-mans land a door creaked open, illuminating the interior of the abandoned household. A smell lingered in the air, it was putrid, like rotting flesh. It would be daft to refer to this place as home. For starters it wasn't even fully enclosed. A few of the walls had crumbled, allowing a cool draft to creep inside. Floorboards were missing. The place was indeed a safety hazard. She figured it'd collapse without warning one day soon. But hopefully, she would not be around to witness that event.

"Anyone home?" Jay called, smiling wryly at her cruel sense of humor. There was a click behind her as the door re latched itself. The room was cast into darkness. Using her hands to navigate around the room she finally found what she was looking for - a candle. There was hardly any of the wick left, but it would suffice for now. She began to search the many pockets of the leather jacket she'd acquired a few months ago, and eventually her fingertips grasped the small lighter. The gas would run out soon, but hopefully the next man she came across could assist with that.

The candle flickered feebly, the glow it cast not even enough to vanquish the gloom that hung about her. After running her free hand through her hair, Jay moved to light the rest of the candles that were scattered poor excuse for a house. When she was content with her effort she pocketed the lighter and draped herself across the musty old couch that graced this particular room.

It hadn't been a very productive day. She'd still had no luck locating another person to mooch off of, and the stink in this place didn't help at all. She needed to get out of here. Sure it was shelter. But the body upstairs wasn't going to move itself. With a sigh she stared up at the ceiling, her feet hanging over one edge of the couch and her head at the other. The look in her eyes was one of intense boredom, and the usual playful sparkle that inhabited them was nowhere to be seen.

"Do I really need a man to survive?" She questioned herself, shutting her eyes for a brief moment. All of her life she'd relied on others. Her parents, Evan, and the rest of the males she'd latched onto. The more she thought on this matter, the more pathetic she felt. Rogues like her claimed to be independent, but were they really any better than the gangs that currently ruled this territory? Jay didn't think so.

When her eyes opened once more they were hard with determination. It was growing late, but wandering the streets at night was not unusual for her. If anything the more entertaining characters could be found at this time. Her hand moved down to the gun that rested against her thigh. As soon as she was certain that it was still firmly attached, she removed herself from the couch and returned to the hell that awaited her outside.

"I... I tried to scold them Ulric but..." The boy muttered softly as he kept polishing the revolver; meanwhile Ulric smirked from the boys statement, glad to hear that Anel at least tried, although the "but" he could of done without. "But what boy, why not speak up?!" Ulric commanded, crossing his arms and turning his head, his body soon following. "I'm sorry Ulric. I'll try harder next time." Perking his head up, grinning from ear-to-ear, Ulric nodded. "Yes, that is what you need to do, try harder. Survival kid, learn it, and know it well. If people quit when the "going got tough", who knows where we'd be now." He replied, happy to hear that Anel was not about to give up - even though it would just earn him another beating, something that Ulric didn't care so much about... supposedly. But, as s Ulric always said: "The world is cruel, so why should such things like age and sex separate the masses?"

Watching as Anel lifted up one of the protective suits and dragged it over to the table - no sign of sympathy shown from Ulric, he followed the boy, skulking behind him. For a moment Ulric stood there silently, but as soon as his eyes sighted a rosary, he scowled and turned his head, such a symbol almost burning his eyes - odd that a part of him almost thought he deserved such torment.

Ulric had long made it clear that God was an entity he had no faith in, so in a way, most people knew not to pull out a rosary, or even the bible. They could make the foolish choice themselves to read/believe such pieces of material or cling to such possessions, as long as they kept them as far away as possible from him.

For a moment he thought about even picking it up, and doing Anel a favor by disposing of it, but his thoughts were quickly disrupted.

"I've taken up the latest inventory of our armaments. The report's right there by the ammunition..." Turning his attention to the clipboard, Ulric reached over and picked it up, setting his eyes on the piece of paper, and its information... information that just kept getting worse, and worse.

"We're running short of slugs. Our shotgun users will most likely get two reloads at most." Rubbing his temples, Ulric scowled and laid the clipboard aside, trying to think of a solution to their stocks. He had already raided almost every army base the North had to offer, which only included two, which were technically airstrips. Houses, shops, he had been through them all, gathering as much as he could... there was just nothing left.

Shotgun shells were rather important, especially because of their brute power, so Ulric had to make a decision, and he needed to make it now.

"Save the shells we got left, if anyone asks, tell them we're out. I won't let them get wasted, we could use them for later. For now, they're just going to have to deal with using something that is not a shotgun." Ulric replied, deciding that it was best to save the ammunition rather than waste it.

Turning his attention the floor, watching as Anel lifted up the rosary - noticing it was on the floor, and missing, Ulric gave a smug grin and turned around. "Keep up the good work boy." Ulric replied, pulling out a chain hooked to his belt, a chain in which also was slipped into his pocket concealing a rosary. He fumbled with it in his hands for countless seconds before slipping it back into his pocket and grunting, clutching his chest. He felt a sharp pain before he began to run out of breath, the asthma in which was caused by then Adenovirus, 4-2-3, catching him by surprise.

Wheezing, Ulric escaped back up the stairs and rushed outside, using the building as support before he collapsed onto the ground. He laid there for only a minute before dragging himself up against the building, and just sitting there, starting to wonder where his wife had got off too. God did he want her.

Anel nodded briskly as Ulric laid out his orders. He was one of the ones who were quick to learn that Ulric was the supreme authority in The Disciples and that defying him would only mean dire consequences. He took out the small notepad that he always carried and jotted down Ulric's orders in case he forgot them. After doing so, he returned to his maintenance duties. He noticed the small grin in Ulric's lips as he bent down to pick up Tim's rosary. As far as he knew, Ulric wasn't really the kind of guy who enjoyed seeing religious symbols.

Anel stole glances as Ulric played with a metal cross in his pocket before leaving the basement. His heart sank as his eyes followed his leaving figure. It still baffled Anel's mind how much similarity in terms of appearance Ulric and Tim shared. From hair down to their body build, he looked exactly like Tim. But never in personality did the two of them became similar. Ulric was cold and uncaring most of the time, a complete contrast of Tim.

Anel's ruminating was cut short when he felt something furry brush against his leg.

"Ciel. Do you want to have lunch?" asked Anel as he picked up the orange cat below him. The feline let out a small "meow" as if to agree on Anel's idea. "Okay then. I'll just finish up here." smiled Anel, setting the cat back to the floor.

Ciel was one of the few things that made Anel smile. As long as the cat was with him, he would never feel lonely. Feeding her was a bit of a challenge as Anel has to give up a portion of his meals for the cat, but he is willing to do so nonetheless. After cleaning the last of the M16s, Anel picked up Ciel and headed for the mess hall. Anel looked around the chapel to see any signs of Ulric but was disappointed to not find any.

*Teletha crossed through the Wasteland at a brisk jog, although the systems in her Power Armour turned that into a fast sprint. She moved along the battered roads, easily the fastest route. A normal wanderer out here would have to move quietly and hidden along this route, but not a Brotherhood Paladin. Teletha went on her way, confident that the finest protection that Humanity had ever devised would shield her from anything. About 15 minutes into her trip, Teletha crossed into the territory of one of the Wasteland Gangs: The Disciples.

As she moved through their "territory", Teletha's helmet picked up a life form. Human. Teletha slowed to a walk and drew her Laser Rifle as the contact came closer. It did not surprise her that who ever was out there had seen her, after all, a seven-foot tall set of Power Armour gleaming in the sun was no form of stealth. The Brotherhood did not paint the Power Armour they had, and the plan gunmetal gray of the suit was easy to see in the daylight. Granted, Teletha's suit had her personal heraldry painted on the right shoulder, and a faded United States Army symbol on the left, but she doubted that was even noticeable from where the figure was advancing. Scratch that, figures. There were three of them, and now she could see them clearly thanks to the magnifier built into the helmet. They were dressed in rags and soiled clothes, and each brandished a pre-war assault rifle, not U.S. made. The "leader" of the three wore a half-destroyed suit of Combat Armour and the helmet from a suit of R-45d Power Armour, but how he had acquired such an item, she could not guess. Still, none of this (save the helmet) surprised her in the least. What did surprise her, a great deal in fact, was when they opened fire...

Teletha dove for cover and fired several bolts from her Laser Rifle back at the Raiders. It was unusual for them to be in any particular faction's territory, but they were probably out to steal food and parts from the people that lived nearby. The one in ten bullets that hit Teletha ricocheted harmlessly from the R-51b Power Armour, and as the group stopped to reload their weapons, she opened fire. The first shot missed and sent the Raiders to cover, but not before Teletha hit one in the back, the Laser bolt burning through flesh and bone, severing the poor fool's spine. The other Raiders popped up to fire, and Teletha sent a Laser bolt through the head of a second Raider, splattering skull fragments and gore over the Raider leader. The leader tore off his helmet, dropped his weapon, and ran from the area, allowing Teletha to rise from the car she had been behind. She went over to the bodies, and inspected them. The first kill was a boy, no older than 14, he had been killed instantly. As for the second, Teletha couldn't see the face, but the body appeared to be that of a young girl who could not have been a day over seven. Teletha pulled off her helmet and threw up on the road. Killing, she was used to that, and even the rather spectacular show of gore did not phase her: but children? Were times that hard out here that the smallest children were now the victims of this ruined city and it's constant war? Teletha wished she could make the Elders see: these people needed the Brotherhood's help, there was no one else who could. She composed herself and went over to the helmet. She was right, it was a R-45, but the inner circuits were gone, and the plexi-glass visor had been removed. She clipped the helmet to her belt, perhaps she could give it to some Wastelander, or at the very least the Brotherhood would want it for scrap parts. Teletha stood up, re-sealed her helmet and continued on, reloading her Rifle as she went.

Two hours later, she arrived at the Headquarters of the Thanatos Instinct. The guard at the gate stopped her:*

"'Oy! Who goes thar'!?"

(in a voice that sounded like it was through an intercom) "I am Teletha Firaxis, Paladin of the Brotherhood of Steel, I come with no harmful intent."

*Her words seemed to appease the guard, and he raised the gate. Teletha walked into the compound and sighed. Like everything in the Wasteland, it was ruined, but these people were trying to make it right, unlike so many others. She headed to the center courtyard and looked around, sticking out like a giant, sliver, sore thumb, and trying to remember where the leader of this Gang kept his quarters...*

Laea looked up at the blue sky and sighed. It was going to be another scorcher, which meant more sickness and more death for those who were in the infirmary. She wondered why they even had an infirmary to house those who fell prey to the virus. They were going to die anyway. It would spare everyone some grief if they died alone, rather than died surrounded by those who knew them. It was a cruel thought, but Laea needed to be cruel to survive.

She got back to work, fixing her motorbike. It was the only thing she was proud of. She'd found it in bits and pieces and had taken three weeks to put it together with mismatched parts. It had resembled a piece of junk then, but now it actually looked like a bike. Hers was the only one in the area. After the bike was done, she turned to her revolver. It was old fashioned, but it had never let her down. The rounds were also easy to come by.

She wished she had a laser, but they were impossible to get unless she tapped into the Brotherhood's armoury, which was suicidal. That still didn't stop her from sifting through piles of scrap every day, hoping to find something that she could use.

After she was done, she made her way towards the edge of their gang;s territory, field glasses in hand. If she hid herself properly, she could see the Great Road. It was quiet today, just the usual number of people darting through. If you wanted to keep tabs on the Brotherhood, the Great Road was the way to do it. The minute something was up, it would be teeming with people.

She spent more than an hour there, but saw nothing of interest. All was calm, and hot. She knew that when she went back to the headquarters today, she would hear of more deaths. Some would even be people she had known or worked with. But she would show no emotion, as usual, and go on with what needed to be done. She vowed that she would never leave herself vulnerable the way she had been with Hannah. All she needed to do was get one small link, one tiny whisper of the key, and track it down to destroy it. Thats all she needed to do.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Milan closed her eyes gently. If anyone were to stumble upon her, they might have got the impression that she was praying. The black cloth she wore on her head hovered in front of her face, her head tilted more to the ground. She was sitting on the floor, thinking. Majority of her thoughts were worrisome .. about Ulric and the ADV 4-2-3 he had contracted. It was very bothersome and the fact that the only cure might just be the 'Key' was even more annoying. But what was worse was that they didn't even have proof it existed or worked. The only thing that could back them up was some old prophecy. Who knows, the 'Key' could even create something worse than the ADV. The only one who would know was God. If he even existed.

It was pretty lucky for her to find a place such as this to clear her thoughts in peace. Anywhere else and their was bound to be moans of pleasure from the confession booths, noise from the small children that frolicked around the chapel or groans and cussing, not at all the ideal place for her to rest her mind. Milan didn't really believe in god .. her way of thinking was quite similar to that of Ulric's. Why would there be such chaos if there was such a thing as god? But then again, maybe God was just waiting for someone to search for Him. To put faith in Him. Ever since the virus had broken out, almost everyone had given up on believing .. in their opinions, it did no good. Nonetheless, it didn't hurt to pray, just in case.

Dear God .. if you are up there .. please. Help us find the Key. The disease that has spread is killing many people we hold dear and someone very close to me has contracted it. Please .. if you have any mercy .. help us find it. May Ulric be well. Amen. The pale hands in front of her dropped to her sides. A quite sigh escaped her lips, her eyelids slowly fluttering open to reveal the pale green pupils that hid behind them. The peacefulness almost made her forget about the reality waiting outside ... She silently got up and strode out of the room.

It was slightly denser and more humid out there, and the noise made her flinch. She could hear the moans and cussing already. It disgusted her. They had no shame. No shame at all. A small child ran over to her, a small dirty face peering up at her. Noticing the small girl had something to say, she crouched down, so the child could speak to her. "God will help us, right?" Milan smiled at her and stroked her head assuringly. "Yes, of course child." The little girl smiled back, the glee glowing off of her. "Thank you, miss!" It was better to keep the faith inside the children, then to crush it. It made all the problems easier to bear.

She got up and something told her to go outside. She walked out of the building and reached up for the corner and saw a pair of legs she recognised. Ulric. "Ulric?" Smiling, she turned around the corner and saw him sitting against the building. Wheezing. "Ulric!" She rushed over to him, kneeling beside him. "What's wrong? Is it the ADV?" Her lips were pressed together into a thin line, worry clear on her face. "Do you need some water?" It was hard to watch her beloved husband in pain. Especially when she could do such little about it. It made her nervous and shaky.

Left undisturbed, Ulric kept a hand on his chest as he lay there with his eyes closed, the pain becoming almost unbearable. All this time he had hid the truth, he had masked the pain that had long overwhelmed him... it was so hard at times... to force yourself to breath, to live. He felt so alone at times; without Milan he felt naked, unshielded, without any hope of gaining the 'Key', a goal that he partly no longer wanted for himself. Milan was already 20, and in another year... she would share the same fate if Ulric was not quick enough. Even if his life was to be taken, he had to get the 'Key' before it was to late, he had to get the key to save his beloved, to save his Milan.

"Ulric?" Startled, gripping his shirt, Ulric opened his eyes and glanced around, gasping for air... ashamed. He didn't want Milan to see him this way, he didn't want her to see him because he was weak, meaningless... The Disciples "fearless leader", Ulric, had fallen to the lowest possible point in his short-lived life.

"Ulric!" He heard for the second time, gasping yet again when Milan knelt beside him, worriedly staring at him, her eyes piercing a knife through his heart. Of all the people, she was the only one who could see right through him. "What's wrong? Is it the ADV?" Ulric tightly shut his eyes and turned his head, unable to face his distraught wife; he was fighting back tears, and doing his best to mask the slightest of emotion... but around her it was so hard. He did have a heart, but was just afraid to use it.

"Do you need some water?" Taking another deep breath, doing what he could to control the pain that now coursed through his chest, he reopened his eyes and turned his head, staring blankly into Milan's eyes. Oh how he loved her eyes. They reminded him of a cool, clear pond, with two lily pads floating seamlessly in the middle. Ulric could just stare at them for hours without once looking away, without once having regret or fear. When he looked at Milan, he had hope, and all his worries were washed away.

A smile returning to his face, Ulric purposely collapsed on her lap, taking in her scent while doing so. Everything about her was so divine, so perfect... What did he ever do to deserve such a woman?

"I don't need any water." Ulric coughed, planting a few small kisses along her thigh, showing her the slightest bit of affection. "I have you, that is all I want. Just my chest anyway, it'll be okay... hard to breath, that's all." Ulric muttered in-between his gasps, in-between the constant hyperventilating. "But you don't need to worry about me, I've told you that countless times. Not even I care for myself. I care for you, I'm doing this all for you. When I find the 'Key', there will be nothing to worry about again. You'll live a long, happy life... and your time won't be limited anymore." He said softly, a tear sprawling down his cheek because he feared he would not be apart of that future.

Placing a hand on her warm, soft cheek, Ulric grinned and sat up, pecking her lower-lip. "You're my world you know that?" Ulric said lovingly, gripping her hand and standing up, dragging Milan up with him. "And keep it quiet about the Adenovirus, I've kept it a secret thus far." Ulric whispered in one of her ears, pulling away and caressing her cheek with his lips.

So far he had foolishly lied about his age so he could hide his weakness, so that he could hide the Adenovirus. The lie only bought him another few years, but it would be enough... by the time they thought he was 21, his time would pry be spent anyway. Although he imagined people thought something was up, especially because, as an example, at "14", he looked much more mature. But for now, the less they knew, the better.

"Shall we?" Ulric complimented, crossing arms with his beloved and walking back into the chapel, toughing every ounce of the pain out.

As soon as he walked back inside, he was greeted in a most unwelcoming way. "Sir, we have some, rather trifling news..."

Meg sat in a in her second story "room", eying their pathetic excuse of a courtyard. The abandoned arena that the Gang had taken over was filled with nothing but salvaged metal from the surrounding waste. Every apartment, office, meeting room, and storage room was all made from scrap metal and any stable wood they found lying around; all cut into different shapes and sizes, welded, or nailed together to fit like puzzle pieces. Meg often compared her home to stained glass windows.
She started to fidget with her gun to keep from daydreaming. Often, her friends were having to jerk her back to reality. Meg would just sit and stare if those around let her, just thinking. Thinking of her past, of her soon to end future, of the dreaded ADV-423; but mostly, all of the time, only about The Key. Everyone alive knew the rumors of this legendary key, half of them spent their entire lives searching for it before the virus took them away.

Today was a day where Meg doubted the entire existance of this Key. So instead of sitting around, devoting herself to something she found nonexistant, Meg decided a walk would provide more release for her energy. She rarely left the safety of her Thanatos protectors, but on occasion she needed to venture away. To go out and find reason to believe in The Key, to find a purpose in herself.
Meg jumped out of her room instead of using the ladder. Her boots made a loud thud, and dust rolled from underneath them as she landed, walking out from the hall where her room was located into the open mass of community inside the Thanatos Arena. The sun seemed to reflect off of her blonde hair, and made her brown eyes a shade deeper. Her navy blue button down jacket supported a belt with her gun in place. Her whip wrapped around her right shoulder; these items like jewelry to the girl.
She passed a group of girls supervising the Water Hole, a table with a constant supply of clean water and as-clean-as-they-can-be cups. Water was a privilege, one she didn't abuse. Further on down were two men, both with active ADV, both diagnosed to die in the near future. They were playing a game of chess with hand carved pieces on a makeshift board. Each going into a fit of coughing while waiting for the other to take their turn.
These were the people the key was to deliver from their sickness, and into a state of health and happiness. But could happiness ever be found in a world so far gone? Meg let out a deep sigh, and continued to walk, turning the corner and heading for the front of the Arena to converse with the guards.
She stopped at the site of a giant metal person standing just on this side of the gates. Immediately she stepped back behind the wall of the corner, out of sight. Rarely did people enter into Thanatos Arena uninvited, she was sure this was the case for this person. Meg wasn't sure whether she should approach the person, or seek out Crow. She stood still, and fished her radio from her pocket, turning it to the main station. "M to L.C" she paged. When no response came, she gave up trying, and turned the corner to approach the visitor.
Meg almost ran right into it, barely stopping herself before colliding. "Uh..Excuse me!" She exclaimed. "I'm Meg, member of the Thanatos. Is there something I can do for you?"

Terra Roshni - Thanatos (West Gang)

Terra was sitting in the bunker staring at a wall, it was unusual not hearing her blast music from the 'lab'. That is, if you could really call it a lab anymore, there were hardly any medical or scientific instruments down there so she had to make the best of what she got. She was underground on a very hot day with nothing to do, still waiting for results on the specimen she gathered a couple of days ago. Throughout her research Terra had noticed that some plants react to her antibiotics similarly to humans, after a grueling 3 weeks search she had finally found enough of these flowers to conduct experiments on, she was determined to solve the mystery behind ADV 4-2-3.

Terra didn't really believe that 'The Key' existed, for science has proven throughout the ages that there could never be one miracle solution to humanities problems, human beings were supposed to figure out what was wrong with them themselves, or at least that was what Terra's philosophy on life was.

A silvery metallic appliance was flying through Terra's fingers as she gave a audible sigh, looking at her watch. 90 degrees! Shit, no wonder why I'm so depressed. She leaned over and rested her chin on the desk, looking at the screen in despair when there appeared a glowing message on the screen, Testing complete. Fading and reappearing on the monitor, a spark went through Terra's veins, she absolutely loved results, and that's not an exaggeration.

Terra sat upright and clicked away, she had a knot in her stomach one only gets from being nervous or overly excited. Could it be? Progress? After a minute of skimming through the text she slouched back into her chair disappointed. She always gave herself false hope. How was she, a 19 year old, supposed to find a cure to the biggest mystery mankind has ever encountered. It didn't really phase her as an important task that would ensure the survival of her kin, but a problem that she must overcome so she can be satisfied in knowing the cause and effect, one could call Terra detached from reality but it was really just her alienated point of view, she never really cared for anyone and she didn't see herself doing so in the future.

After an hour of brewing up medicine she injected the liquor into the cytoplasmic membrane of the mutated, slightly radioactive plant she was testing. Terra had over 800 bacterias to choose from, it was going to take a long time till she would get any results at all, and even then she might not find anything noteworthy.

The heat was stifling, especially because she was wearing a lab coat over her usual dull maroon sweater, she changed into a comfortable T-shirt and started to ascending the rusted iron ladder. Bright rays flooded the bunker, temporarily blinding her. She looked up and saw nothing but the same sense of melancholy whenever she saw the dieing blue vault of heaven, the sky's were empty. No rain. Then again she couldn't remember the last time it did rain, that is if it ever rained at all. Terra shielded her eyes and peered over the dull landscape making out a figure that resembled Meg out in the distance, there was another silhouette that Terra didn't recognize. Best not interfere then. She thought, she really disliked talking to people, especially if she never met them before.

The mess hall lived up to it's name indeed. All sorts of foodstuff that Anel did not dare think off were splattered all over the floor, a work of the wily children who were ungrateful to have food on their plate even though it wasn't very tasty. Several sacks of potatoes were left in abandon in the kitchen. Residents of 7th bell knew all too well that potatoes were the staple meal in the shelter. People here ate it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Fresh meat was a rare luxury for the people here and most of them had to satisfy their craving for meat with jerky and other preserved meat products.

"Wait here Ciel..." said Anel, placing the cat into the floor and reaching into the refrigerator.

The cold storage was mostly filled with snacks and meals that were artificial in nature. It contained some fresh produce ever once in a while but due to the flux in agriculture, they can rarely be seen gracing the refrigerator. As far as everyone knows, the freshest thing one was ever to be lucky enough to get were frozen peas. Anel reached for a carton of milk, one of the few pleasures in life that 7th bell can afford. He poured himself a glass full of the rich white fluid before returning the carton into the fridge. After which, he poured half of the glass' content into a shallow pan before setting it down the floor. He also grabbed some dried fish in the pantry.

"Eat well Ciel." said Anel to the cat before scratching the area behind the feline's ear.

He climbed onto the kitchen counter-top and ate his own share of today's lunch. He didn't mind sharing part of his meal with Ciel. She always did keep him company and he felt that she deserved nothing less than to be rewarded and fed for that.